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The Data Scientist

Influencer Marketing

Top 5 Ways to Integrate Influencer Marketing into Your Ongoing Digital Strategy

Influencer marketing is more than just a buzzword; it’s a powerful way to amplify your brand’s reach and build trust with your audience. After all, 69% of consumers trust influencers’ recommendations. But let’s be real; tossing free products at influencers without a solid plan isn’t going to deliver results. 

To truly benefit, you need to use the right influencer marketing strategy, and more importantly, integrate it into your overall digital marketing efforts. A disjointed marketing policy will get your efforts nowhere and waste your resources. 

But how? 

Let’s break down how influencers fit into your digital marketing integration. 

Focus on Micro and Nano-Influencers

Big numbers do not always count for a better strategy, and certainly not when it comes to digital marketing integration. That’s where micro and nano-influencers come in, which are making waves in the digital marketing landscape. While micro-influencers (61%) were the #1 choice in 2024, their nano counterparts came in third with a 39% share. 

These content creators may have a small following but they often have a higher engagement rate than macro-influencers and celebrities. When they recommend something, it naturally comes across as a relatable and genuine recommendation. It’s no surprise that 91% of engagement posts come from micro-influencers.

How to Take Advantage: 

  • Exclusivize: If you sell cruelty-free or vegan skincare products, double down on micro-influencers who share the same ideology. Their exclusive more selected audience might prove to be more interested in your products and message. 
  • Partner with Multiple Influencers: Instead of putting all your eggs in one basket, spend your influencer marketing budget on different content creators and platforms. This will not only save money but also strengthen your overall influencer marketing strategy.
  • Think Long-Term: Successful digital marketing integration should be for the long haul. So, always plan for long-term partnerships because it helps you build trust and authenticity, which ultimately profits your brand.

Never Overlook Trust and Authenticity 

Nowadays, consumers can spot a sales pitch from a mile away. And with nearly 90% of consumers craving authenticity more than anything else, trust and authenticity should be your priority when it comes to digital marketing integration.  

For this reason, most brands rely on a full-stack influencer marketing agency. Working with an agency helps your brand grow while building genuine connections without breaking the bank or sacrificing your overall digital marketing approach.

How to Take Advantage:

  • Promote Authenticity: Collaborate with influencers who genuinely believe in your brand. Let them have their take on it and how they use it and share honest reviews with their followers. 
  • Be Selective: Contact influencers whose ideologies align with your brand. If you are an organic products-selling company, collaborate with influencers who prioritize environmental sustainability.
  • Be Honest: Many influencer marketing platforms now require you to share brand relationships as per FTC guidelines. Be sure your influencers acknowledge and follow disclosure guidelines. Use simple language like “ad” or “sponsored” while doing so. This transparency will help you build credibility with your audience. 

Tap into Different Influencer Marketing Platforms

Instagram is no longer the only major player in social media. While it still holds significant influence, influencers are now active on a range of platforms like TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitch, and even newcomers like Lemon8. Each influencer marketing platform draws different audiences and offers unique ways to create content.

How to Take Advantage:

  • Go Where Your Audience Is: It makes sense to go where your audience is. If you’re targeting Gen Z, TikTok might be your go-to. For promoting B2B products, LinkedIn influencers might give you better results. Use influencer marketing analytics like demographic data, customer personas, and consumer behavior to get this information.
  • Repurpose Content: Encourage influencers to create content that can be used on multiple influencer marketing platforms. A TikTok video, for example, can be trimmed for Instagram Reels or used as a teaser on Twitter, multiplying its reach. 
  •  Test New Platforms: Be open to trying out new platforms. Early adopters usually face less competition, making it easier to stand out from the competition.

Focus on Video 

With an audience reach of 92.3% in Q1 of 2024, video is a potent influencer marketing tool in your arsenal. Short videos, typically under a minute, can be used across top social media management platforms, including TikTok, X, SnapChat, and Instagram. Naturally, it’s going to be at the heart of your digital integration, but you might need to think outside the box here. 

How to Take Advantage:

  • Promote Creative Freedom: Video can be an engagement magnet, especially when you let creativity fly. Allow your influencers to experiment with different styles, whether it’s storytelling, humor, demonstrations, or behind-the-scenes glimpses when creating your brand content. The more you promote creativity, the higher brand engagement will be. 
  • Focus on Educating and Entertaining: People enjoy learning and being entertained, at the same time. In fact, product demos (47%) were the most popular videos in 2023, followed by explainers (35%). So, if you sell kitchen appliances, ask the influencer to do a cooking demo that showcases your product.
  • Get on Live Streams: Live videos offer a remarkable opportunity for real-time interaction, especially on influencer marketing platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Use them to showcase your product’s features, engage with audience questions, and create an event-like atmosphere that draws in viewers.

Practice Ethical and Socially Responsible Influencing

These are fast becoming more than just fancy terms. Almost all consumers (87%) agree influencers should speak out about causes that align with their values. This number goes to 90% for Millennials and Gen Z. In other words, digital marketing integration can feel like a breeze if you focus on these values. 

How to Take Advantage:

  • Highlight Social Impact: If your brand uses eco-friendly materials, supports charitable causes, or practices fair labor, encourage influencers to share these stories.
  • Support Meaningful Campaigns: Collaborate with influencers to promote awareness for causes that blend with your brand’s mission. For example, a restaurant may benefit from supporting causes like reducing food waste. 
  • Be Genuine: Since authenticity makes all the difference, be sure your brand’s actions match its words. Both influencers and their followers will quickly notice if your commitment to social issues is superficial or genuine and will take it up on social media accordingly.

Final Thoughts

Influencer marketing has evolved beyond a one-size-fits-all solution, which makes it even more challenging to integrate into your overall digital efforts. But this also presents you with a unique opportunity, where you can prioritize authenticity, creative storytelling, and promoting causes that matter. Keep this in mind when optimizing your influencer marketing strategy and integrating it into overall digital policy.